Every U.S. state has its own flag, but many of their symbols and stories are easy to overlook. Behind the seals, stars, stripes, and animals are stories of statehood, industry, conflict, and public design. One flag was designed by a 13-year-old, while another uses a shape unlike any other state flag. This A-to-Z guide introduces all 50 state flags, what they show, and the history behind their most recognizable symbols.
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All 50 State Flags, A to Z
Alabama
Alabama adopted its state flag in 1895. The design places a crimson St. Andrew's cross on a white field, creating a simple, high-contrast flag that is easy to recognize at a distance. Its resemblance to Confederate flag imagery makes the design's historical context important to explain carefully.
Alaska
Alaska's flag was designed in 1927 by 13-year-old Benny Benson, who won a territory-wide contest. Eight gold stars form the Big Dipper and the North Star on a blue field, representing Alaska's northern location and the promise of statehood. The territorial legislature adopted the design 32 years before Alaska joined the Union.
Arizona
Arizona's flag centers a copper-colored star above a blue field, with 13 red and gold rays extending across the upper half. The rays represent the original colonies, while the star recognizes the copper industry that shaped the state's economy. Arizona adopted the design in 1917.
Arkansas
Arkansas's flag places a large white diamond on a red field, reflecting the state's diamond deposits. Twenty-five stars around the diamond mark Arkansas as the 25th state, while four stars inside refer to governments that have exercised authority over the region. The design was adopted in 1913 and revised in 1923.
California
California's Bear Flag is based on the banner raised during the 1846 Bear Flag Revolt. It shows a grizzly bear, a red star, the words 'California Republic,' and a red stripe along the bottom. California adopted the current state flag in 1911, preserving imagery from the brief republic that preceded United States control.
Colorado
Colorado's flag uses blue, white, red, and gold in a tightly regulated geometric design. A red letter C surrounds a gold disc, set over blue-white-blue horizontal bands. The colors are commonly associated with the state's skies, snow, soil, sunshine, and mineral resources. Colorado adopted the design in 1911.
Connecticut
Connecticut's blue flag displays a white shield with three grapevines above the Latin motto 'Qui Transtulit Sustinet,' commonly translated as 'He who transplanted still sustains.' The grapevines are associated with the early settlements that formed the colony. Connecticut adopted the flag in 1897.
Delaware
Delaware's flag places the state coat of arms inside a buff-colored diamond on a colonial-blue field. Below the diamond is December 7, 1787, the date Delaware became the first state to ratify the United States Constitution. The state adopted the current flag in 1913.
Florida
Florida's flag places the state seal at the center of a red diagonal cross on a white field. The seal includes a sabal palm, a steamboat, water, and a Seminole woman scattering flowers. Florida voters approved the red cross in 1900, and the seal has been revised several times since then.
Georgia
Georgia adopted its current flag in 2003 after years of debate over Confederate imagery in earlier designs. The flag uses three red and white stripes with a blue canton containing the state coat of arms and 13 stars. Its overall pattern closely resembles the first national flag of the Confederacy.
Hawaii
Hawaii's flag combines the Union Jack with eight horizontal stripes representing the main Hawaiian islands. The design dates to the Kingdom of Hawaii and reflects the kingdom's diplomatic relationship with Britain as well as American influence. It continued in use through the monarchy, territorial period, and statehood.
Idaho
Idaho's flag places the state seal on a blue field above a red-and-gold banner. The seal pairs a miner with a woman representing justice, liberty, and equality, while its landscape and agricultural details reflect the state's natural resources. Idaho adopted the flag in 1907 using a seal first designed by Emma Edwards Green.
Illinois
Illinois's flag displays the state seal on a white field. An eagle holds a shield and a banner reading 'State Sovereignty, National Union,' while the dates 1818 and 1868 mark statehood and a seal redesign. The word 'Illinois' was added beneath the seal in 1970 to make the flag easier to identify.
Indiana
Indiana's flag features a gold torch representing liberty and enlightenment, surrounded by 19 stars for Indiana's place as the 19th state. The design came from a public competition held for the state's 1916 centennial. Paul Hadley's winning design was adopted in 1917 and has remained largely unchanged.
Iowa
Iowa's flag uses vertical blue, white, and red bands that reflect the state's historical connection to French Louisiana. An eagle crosses the white center band carrying the motto 'Our Liberties We Prize and Our Rights We Will Maintain.' Iowa officially adopted the design in 1921.
Kansas
Kansas's blue flag centers the state seal beneath a sunflower crest. The seal compresses several scenes into one image, including a rising sun, a river steamboat, a settler's cabin, a wagon train, and agricultural activity. The word 'Kansas' was added below the seal in 1961 to improve identification.
Kentucky
Kentucky's flag places the state seal on a blue field, surrounded by goldenrod and the words 'Commonwealth of Kentucky.' Two figures clasp hands beneath the motto 'United We Stand, Divided We Fall.' The handshake presents unity as the flag's central idea.
Louisiana
Louisiana's blue flag shows a pelican feeding three chicks above the motto 'Union, Justice, Confidence.' The image, known as the pelican in her piety, is a traditional symbol of sacrifice and care. State law adopted a standardized design in 2010 that restored three drops of blood to the pelican's breast.
Maine
Maine's flag places the state coat of arms on a blue field. A farmer and sailor stand beside a shield showing a pine tree and resting moose, while the North Star appears above the word 'Dirigo,' meaning 'I lead.' The imagery reflects the forests, farms, and maritime work central to Maine's history.
Maryland
Maryland's flag combines the black-and-gold arms of the Calvert family with the red-and-white arms of the Crossland family. Both belonged to the family of George Calvert, the first Lord Baltimore. The combined design, officially adopted in 1904, also reflects Maryland's divided loyalties during the Civil War.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts uses a white flag bearing the state coat of arms, including a Native figure beneath an arm holding a sword. The imagery and the Latin motto have prompted a formal state redesign process. A state advisory commission is currently considering new options for the flag, seal, and motto.
Michigan
Michigan's blue flag displays the state coat of arms. A figure stands on a peninsula with one hand raised and a firearm held downward, flanked by an elk and a moose beneath an eagle. Three Latin mottoes appear in the design, including 'Tuebor,' meaning 'I will defend.'
Minnesota
Minnesota's new state flag became official on May 11, 2024. It pairs a dark-blue hoist shape with a light-blue field and an eight-pointed white North Star. The State Emblems Redesign Commission selected the design after reviewing thousands of public submissions for a new flag and seal.
The historic seal-based flag shown above remained in official use until 2024. It continues to represent an earlier period of Minnesota's civic design history.
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Mississippi
Mississippi adopted its current flag in 2021 after retiring the last state flag to include the Confederate battle emblem. The new design centers a magnolia blossom above the words 'In God We Trust.' Twenty stars mark Mississippi as the 20th state, and a gold star recognizes the state's Indigenous peoples.
Missouri
Missouri's flag uses horizontal red, white, and blue stripes with the state coat of arms in the center. A ring of 24 stars marks Missouri as the 24th state. The coat of arms includes two bears representing strength and bravery, along with symbols of state and federal union.
Montana
Montana's blue flag displays the state seal beneath the word 'Montana.' The seal shows mountains, the Great Falls of the Missouri River, fields, a plow, and mining tools above the motto 'Oro y Plata,' Spanish for 'Gold and Silver.' The state name was added in 1981 to make the flag easier to identify.
Nebraska
Nebraska's flag places the state seal in gold and silver on a blue field. The detailed seal includes a blacksmith, wheat, a steamboat, a train, mountains, and the motto 'Equality Before the Law.' Its seal-on-blue format has also made the flag a frequent subject of redesign discussions.
Nevada
Nevada's cobalt-blue flag carries a silver star, sagebrush, and the words 'Battle Born.' The phrase refers to Nevada's admission to the Union in 1864 during the Civil War. The current arrangement dates to 1991, when the placement of the word 'Nevada' was adjusted around the star.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire's flag centers the state seal on a blue field. The seal shows the frigate Raleigh, built in Portsmouth during the Revolutionary War, surrounded by a laurel wreath and nine stars. The ship connects the flag to New Hampshire's maritime history and its role in the early United States Navy.
New Jersey
New Jersey's flag uses a buff-colored field with the state coat of arms at its center. The arms include three plows, a horse's head, and the figures of Liberty and Ceres. The blue and buff colors are associated with New Jersey's Revolutionary War military uniforms.
New Mexico
New Mexico's flag places a red Zia sun symbol on a gold field, combining a sacred symbol of Zia Pueblo with colors associated with Spain. Its four groups of four rays refer to cycles of direction, time, season, and life. New Mexico adopted the design in 1925.
New York
New York's flag displays the state coat of arms on a blue field. Liberty and Justice flank a landscape showing the sun rising over the Hudson River, with an eagle above and the motto 'Excelsior,' meaning 'Ever upward.' The additional motto 'E Pluribus Unum' was added to the arms in 2020.
North Carolina
North Carolina's flag combines a vertical blue band with horizontal red and white bands. The initials N and C appear beside a white star, along with dates associated with the Mecklenburg Declaration and the Halifax Resolves, though that is historically disputed. The current design was adopted in 1885.
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North Dakota
North Dakota's flag is based on a banner carried by the state's troops during service in the Philippines. It features a bald eagle holding arrows and an olive branch, with a shield, a sunburst, and the national motto 'E Pluribus Unum.' North Dakota adopted the design in 1911.
Ohio
Ohio flies the nation's only nonrectangular state flag. The swallowtail design, known as a burgee, uses red, white, and blue bands with 17 stars for Ohio's place as the 17th state. The red-and-white disc also suggests both the letter O and the state's buckeye nickname.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma's sky-blue flag centers an Osage warrior's shield decorated with eagle feathers. A calumet, or peace pipe, crosses an olive branch over the shield, joining Indigenous and European symbols of peace. Louise Funk Fluke designed the flag, which Oklahoma adopted in 1925 and updated with the state name in 1941.
Oregon
Oregon has the only state flag with different designs on its front and reverse. The front displays the state shield with the words 'State of Oregon' and the date 1859, while the reverse shows a gold beaver on a blue field. Oregon adopted the two-sided design in 1925.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's blue flag bears the state coat of arms. A ship, plow, and wheat sheaves appear on the shield, flanked by two horses and topped by an eagle. Cornstalks and an olive branch frame the motto 'Virtue, Liberty and Independence.' The current design was standardized in 1907.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island's white flag features a gold anchor beneath a blue ribbon reading 'Hope,' surrounded by 13 gold stars. The stars represent the original colonies, while the anchor has been associated with Rhode Island since the colonial era. The state adopted the current flag in 1897.
South Carolina
South Carolina's indigo flag combines a white palmetto tree with a white crescent. The palmetto recalls the fort on Sullivan's Island that resisted British attack in 1776. The crescent appeared on an earlier military flag, although South Carolinians continue to debate whether it represents a moon, a gorget, or another form of military insignia.
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South Dakota
South Dakota's sky-blue flag centers the state seal inside a ring of golden sun rays. The words 'South Dakota' and 'The Mount Rushmore State' surround the seal. The nickname replaced 'The Sunshine State' on the flag in 1992, giving South Dakota a more distinctive public identity.
Tennessee
Tennessee's flag features three white stars inside a blue circle on a red field. The stars represent East, Middle, and West Tennessee, the state's three grand divisions. A narrow blue bar at the fly balances the design, which was created by LeRoy Reeves and adopted in 1905.
Texas
The Lone Star Flag served as the national flag of the Republic of Texas before becoming the state flag. Adopted in 1839, it places one white star on a vertical blue stripe beside horizontal white and red stripes. The design remains one of the clearest visual links between a state's flag and its pre-statehood government.
Utah
Utah's new state flag became official on March 9, 2024, after being enacted by the legislature in 2023. A gold beehive sits inside a hexagon above a white star, framed by blue, white, and red bands representing the state's skies, mountains, and southern landscapes. The former seal-on-blue design remains Utah's historic state flag.
Vermont
Vermont's flag displays the state coat of arms on a blue field. A pine tree, cow, and wheat sheaves appear beneath a deer's head and above the motto 'Freedom and Unity.' The imagery reflects Vermont's landscape and agricultural history, while the name Vermont is derived from words meaning 'green mountain.'
Virginia
Virginia's flag places the state seal on a blue field. The Roman figure Virtus stands over a fallen tyrant above the motto 'Sic Semper Tyrannis,' commonly translated as 'Thus always to tyrants.' The scene presents resistance to tyranny as the central idea of the state emblem.
Washington
Washington's flag is the only state flag with a green field. At its center is the state seal, which contains a portrait of George Washington based on a well-known painting by Gilbert Stuart. The state adopted the flag in 1923, using green to reflect Washington's landscape and its Evergreen State identity.
West Virginia
West Virginia's white flag displays the state coat of arms inside a wreath of rhododendron. A farmer and miner flank a boulder bearing June 20, 1863, the date of statehood. West Virginia entered the Union during the Civil War after a Union-recognized government formed in Virginia's western counties.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin's flag places the state coat of arms between the word 'Wisconsin' and the statehood year, 1848. A sailor and miner flank symbols of agriculture and industry, with a badger above the shield. The badger also recalls early lead miners who sheltered in hillside diggings and gave Wisconsin its enduring nickname.
Wyoming
Wyoming's flag shows a white bison outlined against blue and framed by white and red borders. The state seal appears on the bison, joining the animal to Wyoming's official civic identity. The design was created by Verna Keays and adopted in 1917, several decades after the territory granted women voting rights in 1869.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which U.S. state flags have the oldest designs still in use?
Several states have flown essentially the same design since the late 1800s or early 1900s. Maryland (1904), New York (1901), and South Carolina (1861 design, formally readopted later) are among the longest-running.
Which states have redesigned their flag most recently?
Minnesota's new flag became official on May 11, 2024, and Utah's new flag was enacted in 2023 and became official in 2024. Mississippi's new flag was enacted in 2021. Massachusetts currently has a state commission evaluating a redesign.
Which state flag is the most unique?
Ohio's flag is the only non-rectangular state flag in the country — a swallowtail burgee shape that required its own official folding law. Oregon is the only state flag with a different design on each side. Hawaii's flag is the only one to feature another nation's flag, the Union Jack, a legacy of the Kingdom of Hawaii's ties to Britain. Any of the three has a reasonable claim to the title.
Why do so many state flags look similar, a blue field with a seal?
Many states adopted their flags around the same period, roughly the 1890s through the 1920s, when the common convention was simply to put the existing state seal on a plain colored field. That's why so many older state flags share the blue-field-with-seal pattern.
Where can I buy a high-quality, authentic state flag?
FlagsUSA carries flags for all 50 states, made for durable outdoor and indoor display. Browse the state you're looking for above, or shop the full state flag collection.
Shop All State Flags
Whether you're flying your home state's colors, outfitting a school or office, or placing a bulk order for a government building, FlagsUSA carries authentic, durable flags for all 50 states. Shop the full state flag collection →